Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-17
WASHINGTON SQUARE.
A Curious Part of the Metropolis Graph
ically Described.
Especial Correspondence.l

tSIN'II So'IrspoHuencej
NEw YORK, Dec 1a.-One bright day not
long ago s.roiled from Broadway down Wa
verley place into Washington square. A soli-
tary policeman kept watch and ward. Hun
dreds of children were playing on the grass
plots, while nearly the same number were
being pera:nbulated round the grass walks by
nurse.naids Of oil races and every variety Of
color AID form. The fountain had ceased to
play, bu. crowds Of small boys failed to profit
by the example, and, with shouts of triumph
or DISCUS, co.2oeted for laurels in tho
arsluous struggles OF ''leap frog Ono Of
the crowds attracted my special attention.
The boy who was giving his back was not
an ordinary youth. lie wore a cap with q
badge, n blue coat with brass buttons, and
Rn accumulated stripe upon abbreviated
pants. In fact he wns q messenger boy.
Doubtless he carried telegram in his pocket,
and, at the very moment his e1ulting friends
wcrc using him as q vaulting pole, in fancy's
sar heard the sender of the message mutter
to himself. am glad gave that boy q
quarter and got his promise not to look at q
shop window or stop for a moment on the
way" was interested in this boys destiny,
and was pleased to find that when no ceased
to be vaultins pole his higher nature-the
messenger portion-got the better Of him,
and with n wild war whoop he went about
his business.
On the numerous benches, scattered around
the silent fountain, and among the grateful
shade of many trees, were children of a
ID ger growth. They did not form pleasant
+ oking groups. For the most part the men
,emed to be loafers or something worse, and
lie women-who in every class Of life man
ss,c to appear more respectable than mon Of
the same class-were untidy. I cot down for
moment next to big coiored man who
was reading q sensational paper On his
right decent young riln read o German
paper On my left a Frenchman smoked
. cigarette, and at n few removes q country
nan of Victor Emmanuel was thumbing an
Italian sheet. 1t was a polyglot crowd, but.
ioweve. different the languages, all were
United by common bonds Of idleness and her
win brother, poverty.
1spoke to the negro and the Frenchman
and could get nothing but a grunt from each.
The Italian and the German dill not seem
communicative, so | rose and shook myself
and went to quiet corner where had q
,onS bench all to myself.
Washington square il an interesting spot.
met the other day gentleman who has not
,e: reached the psalmists limit of life, and
10 reihrih"sreo "h"h 'he square was the pot
.er : 'i5,iu" Vi tS''i''r"'- you diS iour ieet
F'ei1n 'le Suriac"a at any part OF the square,,
nc Sii.' You VIII come upon hunian re-
a'ai's' heh o'ii' up inc square remained
'or some years oie "i 'ie most nriS'ocratic
aeishoorhooiS IN inc cits. henry James
SHora,es II IN ho'ei, ana we eii know that
m, Ittnoi S'io'S l't't .s MS kno"ieuse OF
aisn me JnkeS ana 'ci'ei knishts' ana all
.na'; nu, lhSh,oh ii'o'ei IN otner directionS
l,,u m 'eit lhe o't s4"ire uesoia1e, "ith' h'er-
my only o''e-iour'h "' i's 'orh'er reSlecta-
oiIts;
S was no'I' 10 fH'e my conIortapio
S! Ssius'o' an o,h i,n'. i'iah, WIN go" trimmed
iev'aces' tai S'i- nae anu eoa' OF BROAD
-i',h' S'' ,''"h 'Ns"'e i''e' Ai'er utiie we
Ns,''neeu inisrs a'iu co,rinen,ed on 'he
-anie hc"S "fanuais tne oid man was